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Program Description for the Russian
Participants in the U.S.
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Anastasia
Zinyuk and Mayya Semina |
Five Russian participants were selected by the Russian Union of Youth in Moscow specifically for this program. They arrived in Moscow from different parts of Russia on November 4 for their visa interviews with the U.S. Consulate, then stayed for a week to meet their U.S. counterparts for orientation.
In Moscow, the U.S
and Russian participants met together to discuss logistical arrangements, cultural issues, and an overview of historic and cultural
preservation in Russia and the U.S. A highlight of orientation week was
the reception
at Spaso House, the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Moscow. The Russian participants
then traveled by air to Washington, DC where they spent the weekend before
heading off to the host of their 4-week exchange in the U.S. Follow the links below
to learn about: Russian Volunteers in the United States (below) |
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The Preservation Society of Newport County, Rhode Island |
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The Preservation Society of Newport County served as the host organization in Newport for two of the Russian participants. Newport, Rhode Island has a wide range of heritage sites, from Native American archaeological sites to colonial buildings, a seacoast fortification to the gilded age mansions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Newport was a prosperous colonial seaport in the 17th and early 18th centuries, but was eclipsed by Boston and New York in importance. Its coastal location made it a strategic site for the construction in 1824 of what became the largest seacoast fortification in the United States - Fort Adams. Later in the century, wealthy industrialists built their summer "cottages" in Newport - such as the Vanderbilt cottage known as The Breakers - transforming the island community into a center of wealth and social prestige at the turn of the 20th century. Mayya Semina and Anastasia Zinyuk arrived in Newport with some trepidation. Trudy Cox, Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Newport County had arranged for the various staff members to develop a preservation program for the Russian volunteers. Janice Wiseman, Director of Visitor Services, designed an extensive and comprehensive program that introduced Ms. Semina and Ms. Zinyuk to various departments while incorporating some of their own particular skills. By the end of the exchange, both volunteers they both raved about their experience, having fallen in love with Newport and having made many wonderful friends. Ms. Semina worked part-time in the education department, translating public information materials into Russian. Ms. Zinyuk worked in the marketing department compiling a Russian version of the Preservation Society’s website. Both volunteers also spent part of their time in both the conservation and curatorial departments of the Preservation Society. In addition to Ms. Wiseman, John Rodman and Jeff Moore provided not only professional support but hospitality as well. |
Bellevue House
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Ronald Fleming, of the Townscape Institute, was extremely generous in allowing the Russian volunteers to stay at his Newport home Bellevue House. Not only was this early 20th-century historic property and grounds a grand and comfortable place to stay, but its proximity to the colonial and mansion districts of Newport as well as the seaport allowed Ms. Semina and Ms. Zinyuk to fully experience life in this historic town. |
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Jekyll Island Museum, Georgia |
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The Jekyll Island Museum served as the host organization for Jekyll Island. The three Russian participants stayed in the Jekyll Island lodges during much of their exchange. Located on the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States, Jekyll Island has been home to or visited by numerous groups, including Native Americans, English colonists, French privateers. In the late 19th century, the island became the exclusive retreat of members of the Jekyll Island Club, some of the wealthiest and most prominent families in the United States. Today, the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District is a 240-acre, riverfront compound and one of the largest on-going restoration projects in the Southeastern United States. Three of the Russian volunteers, Evgeny Aksenov, Olga Polstyankina, and Ekaterina Borissova, were hosted by the Jekyll Island Museum. The timing of their exchange provided them the opportunity to meet Avni Rouse, a US/ICOMOS International Intern from Barbados, who was just completing his fall internship with Jekyll Island. Brian Robinson, Director of Preservation Services, and John Hunter, Director of the Jekyll Island Museum, incorporated the three Russian volunteers into a wide range of preservation activities in the Jekyll Island National Historic District. The volunteers worked extensively on conserving wooden shutters from the Goodyear Mansion, scanned historic photographs, re-organized furniture and book collections, and assisted with a variety of other preservation-related tasks. Hilary Morrish, in particular, provided the Russian volunteers with personal attention both during their work days and during the evenings and weekends. The Jekyll Island team also had the opportunity to travel to Historic Savannah (Georgia) and Historic Charleston (South Carolina). Through Brian Robinson’s association with the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Russian volunteers learned about the historic town-grid plan and extensive restoration and preservation efforts that make Savannah such a popular tourist destination. |
Jekyll Island Club (above)
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In Charleston, the Russian volunteers were welcomed by Katherine Robinson, Executive Director of the Historic Charleston Foundation at their headquarters on East Bay Street. Jonathan Poston, Director of Museum and Preservation Services, and Katherine Saunders, Associate Director of Preservation, provided excellent tours that included the archaeological remains of the original fortification walls (in the basement of the Foundation’s headquarters), historic homes along East Battery Street, the Nathanial Russell House, and the Aiken-Rhett House. Mr. Poston also arranged for the group to have guided tours of Middleton Plantation and Drayton Hall, both located just outside of Charleston. |
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Final Program and Reception |
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The Russian participants returned to
Washington, DC at the end of the 4-week exchange to re-convene with their
U.S. counterparts. A reception was held with the IREX US-RVI
participants at the Russian Embassy on
Thursday evening, December 9. Follow the links below
to learn about:
U.S. Volunteers
in Yaroslavl, Russia
Russian
Volunteers in the United States (above) |
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